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Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Two research associate jobs

The Digital Brain Switch project is a RCUK Digital Economy and EPSRC funded project, led by the University of Lancaster Computing Science Department, in collaboration with the School of Management at Royal Holloway, University of London; the Open University Business School; and the School of Engineering and Digital Arts, University of Kent. The project explores how the rise in the use of digital technologies challenges work life boundaries, particularly as individuals increasingly work from a range of locations, experience frequent interruptions and feel required to 'stay connected' through multiple communication channels. We are interested in exploring how modern communication technologies affect our ability to manage transitions across work life boundaries. Does technology support us to manage transitions more flexibly, creating more permeable boundaries and a less segmented persona, or does it encourage leakage across boundaries and a difficult identity management task?

The project will use an innovative combination of behavioural sensing, qualitative research, and digital-prototype-as-provocation methods to achieve an in-depth understanding of how individuals manage switches between role identities in both the corporeal and digital worlds. Digital prototypes will be developed as design interventions that will allow us to explore potential solutions to transition issues.

The project begins in May 2013 and will run for 22 months. There are four postdoctoral RA jobs linked to the project, two associated with the computing science aspects of the project and two with the social science aspects, although all four RAs will be expected to work in an inter-disciplinary manner. Details of the posts at Lancaster and Kent universities are below:

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Should social science researchers embrace social media and, if we do, what are the implications for our methods and practice? This network, led by NatCen Social Research and SAGE along with our affiliate supporters (see below) is for people using or seeking to use social media in social science research who want to explore the implications of that question.